‘Lip Sync Battle’ Sets Spike Network Ratings Record

Last week’s episode of Spike’s “Lip Sync Battle,” featuring a showdown between Channing Tatum and Jenna Dewan Tatum, proved to be a digital dynamo for the network and has now also set a viewership record.

According to Nielsen’s “live plus-3” estimates, which include three days’ worth of VOD and DVR playback, the Jan. 7 episode of “Lip Sync Battle” averaged 4.7 million viewers. It had drawn 2.5 million viewers in same-night viewing and then packed on 2.2 million in time-shifted viewing to break the previous Spike ratings record set by the first-season finale of “Joe Schmo” in 2003 (3.4 million).

The one-hour special episode, which marked the show’s second-season premiere, featured a showdown between Channing Tatum and Jenna Dewan Tatum with special appearances by Beyonce and Paula Abdul. The telecast peaked with 6.4 million viewers for Channing’s performance of Beyonce’s “Run the World (Girls).” Content for the hour has been viewed more than 55 million times on various digital platforms.

“Lip Sync Battle” was especially strong in key demos, drawing 3.3 million adults 18-49 (2.6 national rating) and 1.7 million adults 18-34 (2.5 rating) in Live+3. It had already stood as cable’s top show of the night in these categories, and widened that gap in delayed viewing. And in various key female demos, it stood as television’s No. 1-rated program at 10 o’clock.

The episode set a cable record for digital engagement, and three of the top five most-viewed new videos on YouTube year-to-date were from the “Lip Sync Battle” season premiere.